“I want to connect to Northern realities” – Wynne

kathlene wynne

NORTH BAY – It’s all about consultation and community input.
That was the message that came across for Premier designate Kathleen Wynne during a teleconference interview with members of the Northern Ontario media on February 5.
“I want to connect to northern realities and hear northern concerns,” Wynne said, promising to hold a Northern Cabinet meeting within a month of the Feb. 11 swearing in. “I want our commitment to the North to be real.”
To that end Wynne said she would put together a Northern Cabinet Committee representative of the ministries across government “so we are looking at issues through a northern lens.”
She did not say if this cabinet would include MPPs from the other parties, a proposal that had been brought forward by northern members shortly after the 2011 provincial election.
But putting a focus on the north does not mean Wynne is willing to go back and hash over previous decisions.
“I’m talking about a forward-looking body to address issues as they come up,” she said when asked about the continuing push to sell the assets of Ontario Northland.
Wynne pointed out that she had never said she would stop the divestiture of the ONTC during the past leadership election campaign, but that “I want to proceed in ways that make sense. The biggest issue for me is the creation of a Northern Transportation Strategy.”
She said that the ONTC had been a Northeastern Ontario transportation solution and that she was looking for a strategy that would include all northern issues including inter-city bus transportation.
“We need a different strategy for the North that deals with Northern realities,” Wynne said.
Stressing her meetings with PC leader Tim Hudak, NDP leader Andrea Horwath, and with representatives of the public school teachers unions since her Jan. 27 leadership win, Wynne said she was taking on the responsibility of “trying to make this minority legislation work.”
She said she would be seeking advice from northern communities on how to best address issues, mentioning forestry, economic development and the Ring of Fire.
Wynne allowed that municipalities should have “community autonomy” when it comes to making decisions about economic infrastructure, specifically citing major green energy projects and casino locations. She also noted that “advice from the community” could lead to finding the best options in revitalizing the forestry industry, which she called “critical to the north”.
Wynne acknowledged the Liberals’ lack of popularity across Northern Ontario, but made it clear she was intent on reversing the situation.
“I have heard over the past year, loud and clear, the need to better connect to the North. I intend to be traveling north and not just pay lip service to these concerns. There are economic development opportunities there, and I think the government should be a strong partner.”
Story by Laurel J. Campbell lcampbell@metrolandnorthmedia.com